One fit bird takes out a lardy one.....

[Crankarm]

Heard a squawk outside, thought it was a group of feral teens, so looked out the window to see one bird on top of another banging the larger one's head on the pavement . The pigeon looked quite dead with claws of the kestrel embedded in it's plumage. The kestrel then looked around for any witnesses. Feathers and fluff everywhere, I went to grab my camera as fast as my legs could carry me, but in the 30 seconds my attention was averted the kestrel had carried off it's elevensees. Was hoping for a shot for Amateur Photographer or Spring Watch.

 

[Crankarm]

Cool! A pigeon's a big bird for a kestrel to take, though. We get perries coming an killing them in our garden - they go so fast they sort of explode when they hit them.

Yeah there were so many feathers and fluff everywhere I thought it was an early snow fall. Could have been peregrin but it definitely looked the size of a kestrel and head as well. I guess the pigeon was sitting admiring the view from the eaves then .......bang!

I wish these birds of prey would take some of the flippin' cats around here instead.

 

[Mr Pig]

A pigeon's a big bird for a kestrel to take.

So they don't kill cats then? Just wondering.

 

[Fnaar]

They're all at it today, it seems... was just getting some lunch in the kitchen, when a shower of feathers started falling like snow past the window, and all the crows were going bonkers... went outside, but couldn't see owt.... seems something made a meal out of something else though (and I don't mean me/my lunch )

 

[snakehips]

We have a Sparrowhawk in the neighbourhood. It's been seen twice in my garden. On one occasion , which I did not see , it took out a Woodpigeon. We used to have five regular Woodpigeons , now we only have one.

Siamo tutti farabutti

 

[jonesy]

Yes, I'd have thought that was most likely a female sparrowhawk.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/sparrowhawk/index.asp

The females are much larger than the males and do take pigeons from time to time.

 

[gbb]

^+1..probably a sparrowhawk.
I heard a kerfuffle once at work, squarking and flapping...it was a sparrowhawk sat on a starling. Poor thing was squarking like the clappers, until the sparrowhawk despatched it with a quick rip of its beak.
It sat there, looking at me, looking at the poor starling...then flew off with its prey.

 

[solmisation]

+1 for the Sparrow hawk theory.I was building a new computer a few months ago when I saw something fly past my window, looked out, ran to get my camera and managed to get these photo's, not very good I admit.

 

[Crankarm]

No the bird I saw this morning was smaller than that.
Nice pics given you have to act quickly to avoid missing it.

 

[snorri]

Lots and lots of gannets around today, but they were just too fast for me to catch their spectacular diving on camera.

 

[Dave5N]

Get a job...

 

[Ian H]

Riding along a quiet north Devon B road I saw a buzzard flapping in a ditch. My first thought was that it was injured. But as I approached it flapped on to the verge half-carrying, half-dragging a rabbit. It gave me a look that meant, "none of your business, mate."